Judge in opioid suits won't sanction '60 Minutes' commenters

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By Associated Press&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Sat 2:48 PM, Jan 12, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A federal judge overseeing lawsuits related to the opioid crisis won't take up a request to sanction Ohio's incoming governor and two other lawyers for statements they made in recent television interviews.

Several drug manufacturers targeted in the lawsuits argued that comments by Republican Attorney General and Gov.-elect Mike DeWine and the others on CBS' "60 Minutes" were calculated to taint potential jury pools.

They were part of a Dec. 16 segment on litigation over the role of pharmaceutical companies in the deadly opioid crisis.

Cleveland.com reports U.S. District Judge Dan Polster wouldn't take up the manufacturers' request to sanction DeWine and others. A court docket entry dubbed the request moot, noting that Polster gave attorneys some "direction" during a private phone conference. It didn't specify what he said.

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